Elaine Loughlin: Texas visit a dry run for Taoiseach's meeting with Donald Trump

Mr Trump is a transactional politician who looks for business opportunities everywhere, and a hint on what message Mr Martin might be wise to take into the Oval office came from Texas governor Greg Abbott

Speaking before making his way to Washington for his much-anticipated tête-à-tête with Mr Trump, Micheál Martin (pictured) stressed Ireland’s need to invest in LNG, which the Government has confirmed is now firmly on the table.

“My decision to be here in Texas this week is an intentional one,” Micheál Martin told the gathered crowd in Austin.

The Taoiseach explained that Austin, with its substantial tech sector and creative industry, represents the opportunities to deepen the economic relationship between Ireland and the US.

But crucially, the Texas visit provided Mr Martin with the nearest thing to a dry run with Donald Trump he was going to get ahead of the actual meeting today. It was a balmy 24C when Mr Martin arrived at the governor’s mansion, a colonial style property straight out of Hollywood film, The Patriot.

Crystal glasses of cold ice water were produced as the Taoiseach and his traveling party were left waiting in a reception room for Republican governor Greg Abbott, a man who during the meeting was keen to stress that he had been on the phone to Donald Trump, with whom is he very close, the night before.

Texas is a truly red state and Mr Abbott, the longest-serving incumbent governor in the US, who also acted as Texas attorney general between 2002 to 2015, is a true MAGA Republican.

Since entering the governor's office a decade ago, he has promoted an increasingly conservative agenda, including measures against abortion such as the Texas Heartbeat Act, lenient gun laws, and of course a tough stance on immigration.

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During the pandemic Mr Abbott was vehemently against implementing face mask and vaccine mandates and went as far as blocking local governments, businesses, and other organisations from implementing their own. With many shunning vaccines, the west of the state is currently battling a measles outbreak, which has so far killed two.

Last week, Mr Abbott accompanied vice president JD Vance and other Trump administration officials to Eagle Pass, Texas, along the US-Mexico border. It came after a visit to the Oval Office last month, during which the governor offered up a number of state facilities to help Mr Trump secure the border.

"Texas has completed more than 50 miles of border wall," Mr Abbott said afterwards.

We're going to be adding another 20 miles of border wall here in the coming days. It's under construction right now, and we've acquired more than 100 miles of easement. I let the president know that all of that is available for the USA.

When Mr Abbott arrived into the room to a waiting Taoiseach on Monday, it was all smiles and pleasantries, his wife Cecilia keen to explain her Irish roots. But within moments, the Irish media pack were ushered out of the room and back onto the shaded white veranda.

It is understood the meeting, which lasted around 40 minutes, covered Mr Martin's visit to Dell earlier that morning and Ireland's pro-enterprise model as well as infrastructure investment in the years ahead.

Liquified national gas

Mr Trump is a transactional politician who looks for business opportunities everywhere, and a hint on what message Mr Martin might be wise to take into the Oval office came from the governor.

A readout hinted to what could be bartered in a potential tariff trade-off: "The governor touted Texas as the leading state for liquified national gas (LNG) exports and noted the importance of continued collaboration between Texas and Ireland in the energy industry."

Increasing imports of LNG from the US has already been raised as a potential way to avoid a threatened 25% tariff on EU goods.

Speaking before making his way to Washington for his much-anticipated tête-à-tête with Mr Trump, Mr Martin stressed Ireland’s need to invest in LNG, which the Government has confirmed is now firmly on the table.

"It has been very clear to us by officials how serious the vulnerability is for Ireland. If anything was to happen to gas connectors, in terms of the Irish economy we would not survive a week without some back-up, with some energy security. It's very stark, actually.

“So it's a fundamental responsibility, nothing to do with timing or just visit or anything like that. We have to have energy security. "

While the Taoiseach was remaining brief in his description of discussions with the governor, it is understood Mr Abbott did advise him that Trump is a very personable man, easy to get along with. But that advice of course came from someone who very much speaks Mr Trump's language.

Mr Martin can only hope today’s Oval Office encounter goes as well as his discussions with Mr Abbott, who has now been invited to visit Ireland.